The Great Siege
by Cristokos
Summary: The war between the American Union and the Egyptian Empire raged on for four years, but in the end, the outcome all hinged on the neverending siege of the American city called Detroit...
1. June 3rd, 162 AD

_June 3__rd__, AD 162_

_The following is a journal entry by Michael Kozlowski, the Mayor of Detroit. Detroit is the northernmost major city in all of America. It borders the Egyptian Empire._

The situation between Egypt and America worsens. It has been one year since the Open-Borders treaty was cancelled. It has been eleven months since the trade of gold and iron between the nations ceased. It has been six since some of my brave people supposedly violated Pharaoh's borders. It has been two since Lord Washington publicly denounced the Egyptian worship of their kings as Gods. Last night, news arrived that the Egyptians have beheaded John Meir, our emissary to Egypt. It seems that all communication with King Ramesses' court has stopped. I fear that war is on the horizon.

What am I saying? War is all ready here! Orders arrived a week ago to begin strengthening the walls, and a shipment of arms will arrive tomorrow. The watch has been doubled, and the City Guard has been sending out patrols more and more frequently for the past month. America seems to be ready. I have no doubt that the Egyptians are as well. All that remains to be seen is who makes the first strike…

My wife is seven months in with my fourth child. I do not want this child to be born into an age of war and death. I do not want my child to live among the ruins of a once glorious city. No parent wants their children to suffer in war…

Nevertheless, I will do my duty as mayor. I will not flee this city should it come under siege. I assure you, my wife will not be in Detroit should it come under attack. She will put up more resistance than any Egyptian army is likely to, but she will see my logic. Our children must be safeguarded…

The city's priests have begun to lead mass prayers to the Virgin Mother in the town square…they chant in Ancient American, praying for peace. But other priests denounce the Egyptians as wicked polytheists…they clamor for a divinely-sanctioned war. A riot nearly broke out yesterday between the peace activists and the outnumbered warmongers. It seems that as war approaches, the city is dividing against itself…

Lord have mercy on us all.


	2. September 13th, 162 AD

A/N: This isn't a major project, but I decided to add to it today. It was a random choice. If I update it more, it will move into the actual siege and not all these boring random thoughts. I might do a serious Civ fanfiction, but we will see what time allows.

The entire story will not be written from the perspective of the mayor. The journal entries will change to other points of view, including some Egyptian characters.

_September 13th, AD 162_

The Egyptian army arrived yesterday.

Our forces were squarely crushed a month past in the initial battles of the war. I do not believe the Union was prepared for this war. Bands of raging citizens led by zealot priests have left Detroit to harass the Egyptian army as it finishes its occupation of the surrounding countryside. The gates have been sealed and the walls are manned without rest. The improvised defenses in the port should hold. For now.

I don't know if we can survive the siege, and I see no hope for relief. The Egyptians have surged over our borders and have all ready occupied several major cities. Part of me wishes to surrender Detroit to spare my people…but I fear that no mercy can be had from our enemies. Most of the villages and towns surrounding the city were put to the flame and the sword. Few of them had attempted to even resist the Egyptians.

To honor the traditions of our people, I called a vote among the general population. A strong majority of the population had voted for resistance, and so I bow to the wisdom of the masses in refusing to give Pharaoh control of the city. I pray daily that we have made the right choice.

My wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in August. I have sent my wife and four children to New Orleans, where they should be safe from the war. I do not know if I will ever see them again. As much as I hope to live, it is my duty to watch over this city. I shall not abandon it for any reason.

Thankfully, we will not want for food. We are in supply from the river, and my predecessors wisely maintained a tradition of maintaining massive stocks of food in the city granaries in case of siege. My quartermasters say that with proper rationing, we have enough food for a two year siege. I doubt that we will have to wait that long, but it is comforting to know that my people shall not starve.

The Egyptians have brought to bear a force of over thirty thousand men. Even with militia men, I can barely scrape together half that number. I will have to rely on a strategy of careful defense of the walls and outlasting the willpower of the enemy general.

A wise man once told me that war is a lot of waiting. Still, I dislike this calm before the storm. If nothing else, let this infernal waiting end.

And God, may we have victory.


End file.
